Hello All.
I just bought my first Jeep (4x4 Patriot with CVT2, 2013)
It's a nice driving vehicle that I hope to get many good years out of.

I just had a spare key made. (too expensive but a subject for another day).

I was planning on looking for a larger than average hide a key type box to stash the spare in a hidden underbody location.
My concern is that this key, with the anti- theft chip inside would be stored for a long period of time in close proximity to a strong magnet.
Is there a possibility that the strong magnetic field could "wipe" the memory on the chip and cause it to not work if I needed it? (ie: Jeep shuts off two seconds after starting).

Thanks in advanse for responses...

Robert

Gramps

12-18-2012 03:33 AM

I have a spare key in the center console. If I loose my regular key I have a plain Jane 'not a sentry key' in my wallet that I can open the door with and get the spare. No I don't live in a high crime area where someone would break a window to get in and these are pretty far down the list of popularity to steal.

PC12driver

12-18-2012 09:09 AM

Hello Gramps,
I am more concerned with locking myself out of the vehicle when I'm on one of my many out of town highway trips. In Arizona where I live, there are still some areas with no cell phone coverage. The key would have to be on the outside of the vehicle.

I have read that magnetic fields can erase things like credit card swipe strips and the old cassette tapes because they use a magnetic arranging of molecules to encode information on them.

I don't know the nature of how the "chip" works on the new "Sentry Key" that comes with todays Jeeps, but I wouldn't want to find out the hard way if I lock myself out and the key doesn't work:(

IRSmart

12-18-2012 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PC12driver
(Post 14631354)

Hello Gramps,
I am more concerned with locking myself out of the vehicle when I'm on one of my many out of town highway trips. In Arizona where I live, there are still some areas with no cell phone coverage. The key would have to be on the outside of the vehicle.

I have read that magnetic fields can erase things like credit card swipe strips and the old cassette tapes because they use a magnetic arranging of molecules to encode information on them.

I don't know the nature of how the "chip" works on the new "Sentry Key" that comes with todays Jeeps, but I wouldn't want to find out the hard way if I lock myself out and the key doesn't work:(

but his point is, if you're worried about locking yourself out, why did you spend a few hundred dollars on a full sentry key, instead of just getting a $5 key that will unlock the door? if you're locked out, that means that a key that will run the car will be inside the car somewhere, so you only need to get into the car with the hidden key, not be able to start it. sounds like you threw a bunch of money away on this one to me...

JeepCares

12-18-2012 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PC12driver
(Post 14631354)

Hello Gramps,
I am more concerned with locking myself out of the vehicle when I'm on one of my many out of town highway trips. In Arizona where I live, there are still some areas with no cell phone coverage. The key would have to be on the outside of the vehicle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gramps
(Post 14630625)

I have a spare key in the center console. If I loose my regular key I have a plain Jane 'not a sentry key' in my wallet that I can open the door with and get the spare.

I do basically what Gramps does.

FujativeOCR

12-18-2012 02:51 PM

Or maybe you lost the OG key

dahozzman

12-18-2012 11:42 PM

AAA will make you a credit card access key for free. Perfect answer to your need since it's an emergency only key rather then a key you would be using a lot.

Or, if you really want an out of sight out of mind location for a key you could actually use after regaining entry, just put the key you had made in an envelope (thus avoiding your magnetic concern) and tape to the back of the glove box. You can access the back in the same manner as if you're were changing out the cabin filter. Just press in on the back upper corners and work it out.

PC12driver

12-19-2012 12:06 AM

Thanks all for the repleys...

Yeah I did feel a bit stupid after spending the $$$ on a Sentry key. I had not read the Manual enough and thought that the horn would go off and everything if I used a non-chip key to open the door. :doh:

I was confusing how the Sentry key system works on the Patriot with my wife's car.

Well after a bunch of searching around I found a small waterproof bag to put the key up under the car with strong cord.

That should do the trick.

Gramps

12-19-2012 04:01 AM

Opening the door with a non-chip key, once it's been locked with one does, sound the horn. Once inside and I grab the chipped key and turn the Jeep on with it the horn stops. The regular flat key fits in my wallet. ACE Hardware and just about any place can cut one of those for $5 or so.